Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is known for her political endeavors as much as for her passion for collecting (e.g. exhibition of her jewelry Read My Pins in the MAD Museum in 2010). We are very happy to announce that Mrs Albright donated to BBLA a precious family puppet theater, manufactured by a puppet company of Antonin Muenzberg in Prague in the 1930s.

There is the Queen, the King and the Princess, Kasparek and Vodnik (Water Goblin), and many other marionettes. "...There were many makers of such family theaters in Czechoslovakia between the two world wars; Muenzberg was the largest one... Family theaters were used by both children and adults for performance for family and friends." wrote Vit Horejs, Artistic Director at the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater.

Stay tuned for our future announcements regarding the theater, when and where you will be able to see it. In the meantime, view all the wonderful photos on our FLICKR account. 

As part of the ongoing campaign to help rebuild the town of West, TX damaged by the massive explosion back in April, BBLA sponsored four plane tickets to the Czech Republic for children from West. Jared Janek, Daniel Gerik, Mary Kathleen Janek and Holly Soukup, aged 13 to 16, thus had this wonderful opportunity to travel in June to the homeland of their ancestors.  

As winners of an essay competition organized by the Czech Embassy in Washington D.C., they were asked to write what it means for them to be Czech. "To me, being Czech-American means that we hold our family and traditions very dear and we are a strong people. We work hard, care for one another, and know that our heritage is deep and true. I look forward to dance Czech dances next year, when I will be able to represent my community as a "Junior Historian" dancer....", wrote in her winning essay 14 year old Mary Kathleen Janek.   

 You can view photos from the trip on the Facebook of American Friends of the CzechRepublic, our sister organization.  

by Joe Bendik

Ego sometimes gets a bad rap. Sure, no one wants to be called an egotist, and I know plenty of people with that condition, but there is another side of the ego that causes us to strive for perfection via competition. Milan Heger's mixed media pieces (showing in BBLA Gallery at Bohemian National Hall) demonstrate the duality that's at play here. Heger explains: "We live in an increasingly commercial world, under incredible pressures of needing to present ourselves wrapped in brand names;.....

>> Read the whole review of Milan Heger's exhibition for CityArts by writer and musician Joe Bendik.

LISE STONE, A PLAYWRIGHT, has contacted BBLA for assistance: "My work focuses on Jan Masaryk's post-War return to Prague and his friend, Marcia Davenport.  I am interested primarily in his own writings from before and during the war.  I am also interested in anecdotes, especially about his casual jokes and story telling - perhaps in articles. "  

If you have any stories to forward on to Lise, please contact Ed Chlanda or Andrea at office@sokolnewyork.org or (212) 861-8206.